it was just a cough
by prussia-hugs
Summary: 79 A.D. pompei, southern italy. mount Vesuvius exploded. how does romano feel the pain. slight itacest and spamano if you squint rated T for romano's language.
1. Chapter 1

ERMAHGERD ERDATES. Yay I'm NOT dead anyway I was looking and I didn't find any fan fictions like this. After flipping shit for a few minutes I decided to get off my lazy ass and actually do something :D. anyway yes I know they didn't have cars and shit in 79 A.D, but I believe the hetalia characters live in like an alternate universe were they are super advanced. In other words don't leave reviews like 'why do they have cars? This story isn't historically correct!' Yes I know. Just go with it okay? Flames will be used to roast hot dogs.

Hetalia belongs to himuriya sensei. (if it belonged to me prumano would be a real couple.)

It was just a cough

August 24,  
Romano and Spain sat and was at their usual business, Spain being a cheerful fuck and Romano cussing him out. But little did they know, one little cough would lead to a disaster that would even make Russia shiver.

Romano sighed. He had been feeling a bit under the weather recently and Spain being, well Spain wasn't helping. Randomly, Spain got up and started singing! Romano grabbed him by the collar of his shirt  
"shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down" he said, sounding a little more pissy than usual.  
"Aww but Roma~" Spain whined, before noticing the dish of tomatoes sitting on the table. He dug in, not noticing Romano staring at him with hate in his eyes. Spain stared at Romano before placing a hand on his forehead.  
"Are you feeling alright Roma?" he asked, sounding concerned "because you have a bit of a fever.  
"I-I'm fine bastard" he retorted, coughing slightly. Spain frowned.  
"well if you're absolutely sure, we should get going, there's a world summit meeting at 1" he said, getting up and leaving money on the table. Romano nodded following Spain. The drive to the world summit place was quiet, other than the odd cough from Romano.

They got there just as the clock struck 1. When he saw him, Italy ran and hugged his brother  
"Vee~ Fratello! It's good to see you!" he said cheerily. Romano could only cough in response. Italy frowned "are you okay Fratello?" he asked. Romano nodded before coughing a little more. As the meeting continued, Romano's cough got worse and worse. Soon enough everyone was staring at him.  
"Um are you okay" Germany asked. All Romano could do was shaking his head. He was growing weak. 'Shit what the fuck is going on' he thought. As the meeting continued, Romano grew faint. He collapsed out of his chair. He used the nearby wall to help him up before he slowly made his way out. When he was out in the hall, he fell to his knees. Coughs racked his body. Spain burst through the door just to see Romano vomit.  
"Dios mio Romano" Spain said hugging the shaking country close to him. Romano felt tears form in his eyes.  
"Chest *cough* hurts" he managed to choke out. Spain ran his fingers through Romano's silky hair. He rocked him slightly as Romano coughed and sobbed from the nearly unbearable pain. Italy ran out a few minutes later and took a step back. Romano was in a shambles. Italy put his hands over his mouth. What was doing this to his brother, but that didn't matter. Italy sat down and gestured for Spain to lay Romano in his lap. Spain did so and went back into the world summit room, understanding that Italy could take care of Romano for now.

Italy rocked his brother back and forth, back and forth, listening to the endless coughs. Romano gripped Italy's shirt like it was a lifeline. The coughing and the odd dry heave exhausted him. He felt his eyes slowly close.

People running, screaming, hiding. Clouds of ash and pumice filling and contaminating the air. Some people saw that the end was near and so they just kneeled in the streets and prayed. And finally the huge mountain, spewing fire. All Romano could do was stare in horror as people choked on the suffocating air. Why was this happening. How could it be stopped. Romano could hear children crying and calling for their mothers and fathers. It was torture.

Italy watched as Romano slept restlessly. He could hear him whimpering. He sighed. It hurt him to see Romano like this and know he can't do anything to make him feel better. Italy was brought back from his thoughts as another cough shook Romano's body. Romano slowly blinked open his eyes. He was frightfully pale and shaking violently. He looked up at Italy. His eyes looked dead, before he threw up again. Italy ran his fingers through his hair, before sitting him on a nearby bench.  
"I'm going to go back inside and you just sit here and wait for me" Italy explained slowly. A fit of coughs took over Romano but he managed to nod.

When Italy walked into the world summit room, everyone stared at him, looking for an explanation. Germany cleared his throat and asked what everyone else had clearly been wondering.  
"What is going on with your brother Italy" he said rather slowly. Italy looked up. To be honest he didn't really know. He knew it was probably a problem going on in southern Italy. He knew one of the volcanos was supposedly "due" but he just didn't know. Italy shrugged  
"I know just as much as you. Romano may just have to fight through this on his own" he said begrudgingly. Everyone stared. This was not at all like bubbly little north Italy. They expected him to say something like it could all be solved with pasta or some bullshit. Prussia piped in.  
"maybe you can take him to your grandfather. You never know maybe he knows what's going on" Italy nodded.  
"If you don't mind I'm going to go right now." he said quietly before leaving again.

Romano looked up. He had decided to lay down while his twin was being questioned by those bastards. Italy knelt down so he could look Romano in the eye.  
"I'm going to take you to grandpa to see if he knows what might be the problem okay?" he asked gently. Romano coughed again but managed to nod in response. When they got in the car, Romano actually having to be wrapped in a blanket and carried because the fever and overall weakness seemed to have sucked every ounce of warmth from his body, Romano was placed in the back so he could lie down if need be. Italy didn't try to get Romano to talk, knowing the only way he could respond would be a coughing fit.

When they got to grandpa Rome's palace, Italy knocked on the front door with his head, since Romano had fell into a dreamless sleep and had to be carried. Grandpa Rome answered the door in his usual manner. Throwing the door open cheerfully and welcoming the person in. But when he saw his usually cheerful grandson looking so solemn and having to carry his brother, he knew that something was up.

A.N WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO DEAR ROMANO R&R to find out. I will update only after I get 5 reviews ^J^


	2. Chapter 2

**OH MY GOD THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVELY REVIEWS! And I am soooo sorry I didn't update sooner TT_TT I was in the middle of a move and I already had that chapter finished, then we found out the computer doesn't like to travel, and it was just very hectic, SO HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER I HOPE YOU LOVE IT AS MUCH AS THE FIRST :D**

**I don't own hetalia, if I did… PRUMANO ALL THE WAY**

Numbness. That was all Romano felt as he lay on his grandfather's couch. He could hear his brother and grandfather talking about him, but he didn't care. Usually he would have said 'IF YOUR GONNA TALK ABOUT ME DO IT TO MY FACE'. But again it didn't matter right now. All he cared about was the unbearable pain that had lodged itself in his chest. 'What the fuck' he thought to himself. Sure he got sick sometimes but never like this. Suddenly he felt a warm hand rest on his forehead. He looked up, looking into a mirror of his own face.

"f-feli" he managed to choke out, feeling undeniably weak, but, again he didn't care right now. Right now was the time to be honest. "I-I'm scared" he managed to choke out. Every word felt like sandpaper on his throat. His brother looked like he was ready to cry.

"I know Fratello, I am too" Romano's twin said, choking back sobs of his own. "I know it hurts right now, but me, and grandpa Rome are here to take care of you" he said. Romano noticed his bottom lip starting to quiver as he brushed the hair out of his face. To Romano, it felt like the inside of his lungs were being torn apart, but watching his brother try to stay strong for him, made him feel proud.

"I *cough* I'll be fine Veniciano" he said, a hint of a smile slipping onto his face. He pulled his brother's face closer to his. "It's just a cough, you don't have to worry so much" he said. At that moment, the dam that had been holding back North Italy's tears broke. He held his brother close to him, crying into the blanket he had wrapped around him.

"I-it j-ju-just hurts so m-m-much to see you so weak Fratello" Italy stuttered out. Romano felt himself rubbing circles in his brothers back. The whole time he thought he was the only one hurting, but that was just conceited of him. Sure sometimes he thought of himself as a failure. But in the back of his mind, he knew he had people that loved him. People that cared enough to take him to their grandfathers while, technically he was supposed to be in a world meeting. That was his brother. His idiot Fratello. He didn't know why he just realized this now. Maybe it was because of the pain he was in. it had made him soft.

At Grandpa romes home, romano clung to Italy desperately. He had gone into another coughing fit, this one stronger than all the other ones. Italy held his brother close, hoping and praying to god that he would get better. Italy looked at Romano's face. he was pale. His olive skin had been painted a sickly greenish white. His fever was raging. But the worst thing was, the fear in the older Italian's eyes. He looked scared, scared and desperately trying to stop the pain by clinging to his brother. It was pitiful.

Romano's throat hurt. That's all he could think about right now. He wanted the pain to stop. He knew it wouldn't, but he still wished desperately for his lungs to clear and his throat to stop burning.

He knew the meeting in Rome must be over by now. His suspicions were confirmed when an over excited Spaniard threw the door open.

"Romano~ Dios mio! Why did you not say you were feeling sick~" he said as he walked in. he could hear Romano coughing. Spain peeked his head into the living room. The scene in front of him made his heart break a little. He walked in, gently tapping on the door as he entered to announce his arrival. By this time, Romano had passed out again, but Italy still held his twin close. "He's not doing well is he" he usually cheerful Spaniard said, putting his hand on the younger twins shoulder. Italy shook his head, slowly.

"I'm scared Spain" he said quietly. "I'm scared Fratello won't be strong enough" this nearly broke the older man's heart. He sat on the other end of the couch, stroking Romano's hair gently. He managed a sad chuckle.

"Feli, you should have more faith in your brother" he said, even though, he too looked on the verge of tears. Italy nodded, brushing his brothers hair out of his face. He closed his eyes, and a lone tear rolled down his face. 'Please Fratello' he mentally pleaded his brother. 'Please, get through this. I can't do this without you'.

Romano groaned in his sleep. He didn't want to face another one of those horrific dreams, even though he knew very well one could not simply control what he or she dreamed about. But he still could hope right? Right? Just as he let his mind thought process go in another direction, he slipped into another horrid nightmare.

People weren't even running anymore. Just got on their knee's and prayed that god would accept them into heaven. This made Romano's normally hot head flare up. Were his people really that hopeless? He tried to go and tell them to run, but it was like he was glued in his spot. This was cruel. His brain always made him watch this. Watch the hope of the people of Pompeii Italy slowly lose all hope of survival.

(**A.N) WHOOO FINALLY. And like I said before, I am BEYOND sorry it took so long to write. TT_TT. I'm not gonna be a douche and go beg for reviews again, but they would be highly appreciated :D. I will probably start on Chapter 3 next week. Unfortunately this story is gonna update fairly slowly ;A;. I'm in High School now, so that means PILES of Homework ^^" BUT I will update again as soon as I get a chance :D**

**And if you wanna listen to a song to set the mood, There For You by Flyleaf is excellent ^^.**


End file.
